Illustration by Xian Boles, MFA, CMI

Tracy, a busy mom of five and marathoner, began experiencing frequent headaches in 2022. She and her husband Jason had just built their dream home outside of Greensboro. As a runner used to pushing her body to its limit, she assumed the pain would go away. One Sunday morning, she told Jason to take the kids to church so she could go to the emergency room to get a scan to figure out what was causing her headaches. Tracy’s scan showed a 4 cm brain tumor in the left frontal lobe.

Jason worked in pharma for years and knew all about brain tumor clinical trials and the urgent need to find experts to manage Tracy’s care. After speaking with different specialists, Tracy had a resection surgery to remove the tumor. The surgery went well, but the surgical team could not diagnose it. “I went from panic to terrified,” recalled Jason.

Tracy and Jason were told by their care team that they needed to postpone further treatment until more was known about the tumor. Three weeks after resection surgery, Tracy woke up throwing up all night. Back at the hospital, her surgical team told her that the tumor had come back. This time, Tracy had a second resection surgery and went straight into brain and spine radiation treatment.

During the first round of chemotherapy, Tracy developed shingles and described the symptoms as more painful than the two brain surgeries. During this time, Tracy could no longer run or coach sports. “Our whole life was upside down,” said Jason.

At the end of 2022, Tracy finished treatment. She wore Optune for 18 months, and took it off in December of 2023. At this point, she and Jason decided to try and enjoy life, rather than live in the shadow of recurrence.

In April 2024, Jason started a coaching practice. Through the coaching, Jason and Tracy connected with many different members of the brain tumor community. Tracy and Jason co-founded, Aware Coaching, a program dedicated to helping families navigate life’s challenges with resilience and purpose.

In September 2024, Tracy’s tumor came back. Her surgical team recommended another resection surgery. “I realized that we had to be aggressive with her treatment,” said Jason. “We started looking into other places and options.”

The Binder family received tremendous support from their community and friends. Neighbors and local church members brought meals, drove their kids to school and sports practices, and even finished the family’s driveway to their new home and built a barn on their property. Through their brain tumor community, Jason found neuro oncologist Dr. Soma Sengupta. “Three different pathways validated her before I even met her,” said Jason.

Because of Tracy’s early treatment, she was no longer a candidate for 80% of the brain tumor clinical trials offered to patients with her diagnosis. However, Dr. Sengupta told Tracy and Jason that she would be a good candidate for the Expanded Access to Gallium Maltolate (GaM) program. The expanded access program is for a new cancer therapy for patients with recurrent glioblastoma. “She was very thoughtful and answered all of our questions,” said Jason.

����ý Health is one of only three centers in the United States that offers this expanded access program. “The Gallium Maltolate expanded access program was one that I found out about through the Musella Foundation and offer the option when other options have been exhausted,” said Dr. Sengupta, Division Chief of Oncology at ����ý Health.

Jason and Tracy still wanted to preserve Tracy’s quality of life and allow her to continue doing the things she loves. “Tracy runs four and a half miles a day,” said Jason. “We didn’t want to do in-patient infusions or knock her out. We wanted high quality of life.”

Tracy and Jason also met with neurosurgical oncologist Dr. Dominique Higgins to discuss a precise surgical procedure called LITT. Tracy’s tumor is located on the speech area of the brain, and surgical resection of the tumor could damage her ability to speak. “My mom lost her speech after a brain aneurysm when I was 21,” said Jason. “LITT was precise and non-invasive enough to address the recurrence, get a biopsy, and more genetic insight into the tumor.”

“With Dr. Sengupta’s integrative medicine background, she helped Tracy add food and think about a metabolic approach. She thinks about everything.”

Tracy went in for her LITT procedure with Dr. Higgins. After the procedure, Tracy and Jason waited in the neuro ICU, anxious to be discharged. When the discharge came, Tracy went to the hospital pharmacy while her husband got the car. “Dr. Higgins ran down to the pharmacy to show Tracy the results of her surgery on his phone,” said Jason. “Most surgeons don’t do that. We’ve been impressed by the humility that Dr. Higgins and Dr. Sengupta have shown.”

Now, Tracy will continue as a participant in the expanded access program. Jason continues to advocate for brain tumor patients and is an active member of the brain tumor community, attending local events including the 2025 Weatherspoon Brain Tumor Symposium.

Jason explained that he is able to contact Dr. Sengupta on her cell phone, which is important for brain tumor patients and caregivers. “With ����ý, I can call and talk to Dr. Sengupta on her cell, rather than having to go through MyChart,” said Jason. “Nurse navigator Ann Dixon is also very responsive.”

Dr. Sengupta also introduced the Binders to complementary approaches to fight cancer. After her first round of treatment in 2022, Tracy no longer liked the taste of many foods. “With Dr. Sengupta’s integrative medicine background, she helped Tracy add food and think about a metabolic approach,” said Jason. “She thinks about everything.”

Both Dr. Sengupta and Dr. Higgins are researching complementary approaches to fighting cancer. Dr. Higgins studies iron metabolism in glioblastoma, and gallium maltolate depletes the iron in cancer cells making them less able to proliferate. He will conduct a clinical trial evaluating diet and the effect it has on brain tumors.

Dr. Sengupta is researching natural products, an art therapy app to enhance quality of life for brain tumor patients, and opening integrative medicine clinics. “I like to treat the whole patient, so mindfulness, nutrition, alternative therapies, and supplements are areas we discuss,” said Dr. Sengupta. “We are fortunate at ����ý to have experts in integrative medicine, for example, Susan Gaylord (mindfulness), Amanda Corbett (supplements, Assistant Dean at the School of Pharmacy, ����ý), Aisha Chilcoat (naturopath associated with ����ý), and Denise Spector, who offers integrative oncology services at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.”

Tracy still gets nervous going in for her scans, but is comforted by the ability to get ahold of her care team and the exceptional patient care that she experiences at every appointment. Both Jason and Tracy recognize the importance of complementary approaches to fighting cancer, and the positive impact that it can have on patient outcomes. For now, both Tracy and Jason will continue to spend time as a family and continue coaching other brain tumor patients and caregivers through diagnosis and treatment.

Written by Makenzie Hardy, Marketing Coordinator, Department of Neurosurgery

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Photo: Kurt Nolen, SOC

In this role, Dr. Upadhyaya will collaborate with supply chain leadership to provide strategic guidance and clinical insight across key��initiatives, including the Value Analysis Program, procurement strategies, and other essential areas within the supply chain.

Dr. Upadhyaya brings more than 15 years of clinical experience in neurosurgery, with a focus on complex and minimally invasive surgical spine care, and over a decade of leadership in both academic and non-academic settings. He has led the development of value analysis teams, supported spine surgery certifications across health systems, and worked extensively to align clinical quality with financial stewardship.

Dr. Upadhyaya earned his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, and completed certificates in Business Analytics and Sustainability.

Dr. Upadhyaya has practiced in a wide range of healthcare environments and is well positioned to bridge clinical and operational priorities. In this role, he will partner with physician stakeholders across ����ý Health and engage with industry collaborators to identify, evaluate, and implement opportunities that enhance quality, improve efficiency, and support evidence-based decision-making related to clinical products and services.

In addition to this leadership role, Dr. Upadhyaya will continue his clinical practice in Chapel Hill.

About Dr. Cheerag Upadhyaya
Dr. Upadhyaya is a board-certified neurosurgeon specializing in minimally invasive spine surgery. He is Vice Chair of Business Innovation and Strategy and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at ����ý Health. He is passionate about research to improve patient outcomes by determining new, minimally invasive treatments and conducting research to improve access to patient care.

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TSMISS is a professional organization in Taiwan dedicated to the advancement of minimally invasive spinal surgery and improving patient care. The conference featured presentations and discussions on minimally invasive spinal surgery. Presenters were invited from all over the world. Dr. Upadhyaya presented on advancing lumbar fusion outcomes.

In addition to his presentation at the TSMISS conference, Dr. Upadhyaya also presented to surgical faculty and residents at the China Medical University on key considerations for building a comprehensive culture of surgical safety. “I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity to learn from colleagues in Taiwan during my visit with the Taiwan Society of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and the surgical faculty at China Medical University,” said Dr. Upadhyaya. “I’m especially grateful for the generous hospitality and thoughtful conversations shared throughout my time there.”

As a guest speaker, Dr. Upadhyaya was presented with a piece of art featuring a ram.

About Dr. Cheerag Upadhyaya
Dr. Upadhyaya is a board-certified neurosurgeon specializing in minimally invasive spine surgery. He is Vice Chair of Business Innovation and Strategy and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at ����ý Health. He is passionate about research to improve patient outcomes by determining new, minimally invasive treatments and conducting research to improve access to patient care.

Written by Makenzie Hardy, Marketing Coordinator, Department of Neurosurgery

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Photo: Kurt Nolen, SOC

��In November 2024, David left his house to go collect political signs that he had set out around town for a friend. At one of the stops, five miles from his home in Rocky Mount, David struggled to pull the sign out of the ground. When the sign finally came up, David lost his balance and fell face first onto the side walk. He heard something pop, and thought he had broken his glasses.

David never lost consciousness and was able to clean up the blood on his face before climbing into his truck to drive the five miles home. When his wife, Susan, saw his face, she insisted they drive to the emergency room to make sure that he did not have a concussion. “I was still in denial that it was serious,” recalled David.

Susan drove him to the emergency room in Rocky Mount. He was immediately ushered back to a room and ordered an x-ray. “I could hear the technicians talking as they were doing the x-ray,” said David. “One said, ‘we’ve got to get a collar on him.’”

During the fall, David had also dislocated two fingers on his left hand. An x-ray showed that his fingers were not broken, and he was given a metal splint.

X-rays confirmed that during the fall, David had broken his C2 vertebrae in his neck, and required immediate surgery. He was told that he needed to be transferred to a trauma center, and Susan insisted that they go to ����ý Chapel Hill.

“I was lucky that I was not paralyzed. The vertebrae was so close to the spinal cord.”

David’s x-rays were sent to Chapel Hill, and the ����ý helicopter was dispatched to Rocky Mount to safely transport him. When he arrived in Chapel Hill, David was immediately transported to the ICU. “I was still aware and conscious and I knew what was going on,” recalled David. “I kept telling my wife that I felt like I couldn’t breathe and that I would suffocate. A nurse from ����ý saw me and said ‘his esophagus is closing up, incubate him immediately.’”

A rapid response team was called and David was then heavily medicated and a tube was placed to help him breathe. On a Sunday morning, while David was sedated by medication, his wife met spinal neurosurgeon Dr. Cheerag Upadhyaya. “My wife was amazed by him,” said David. “The nurses told my wife that I had the top guy to do this surgery. That made her feel great. Dr. Upadhyaya knew his stuff.”

Dr. Upadhyaya had a halo placed on David and a 10-pound weight on the back to help lift his C2 vertebrae since it was completely off set and hanging by a shard, digging into David’s spine. This was done to stabilize David for surgery the following day. “I was lucky that I was not paralyzed,” said David. “The vertebrae was so close to the spinal cord.”

The first time David was conscious and able to meet Dr. Upadhyaya was two days after his surgery. “When he saw how I had recovered, he was grinning,” said David. “We gave each other a fist bump and I thanked him for pulling me through all of that.”

“Three months later, I am walking around doing everything I could do before.”

After surgery, David spent 10 days in the hospital before being transferred to ����ý Hillsborough’s rehabilitation center. While in the hospital and rehab center, David was determined to be released as quickly as possible to go home, so he pushed himself during his physical therapy exercises. David spent five days in the Hillsborough rehabilitation center before being discharged. “I wanted to move along as quickly as I could so that I would be able to be released.”

Now, David is back to doing everything that he could do before surgery. He notes that he is discouraged from getting on a ladder, a direction that is easy for him to follow due to his dislike of heights. He goes to ����ý Nash near his home in Rocky Mount twice a week for physical therapy and is trying to strengthen his back and posture. “That’s going well and working as it should,” said David.

He notes that the injury to his hand may require surgery since he is still unable to move his two fingers. Despite the slow recovery of his hand, David is pleased with the outcome. “Three months later, I am walking around doing everything I could do before,” said David. “Most people would not know that I had had an accident at this point because I am doing everything that I have always done.”

David is grateful for the care he received at ����ý Health, and even more grateful to Susan for insisting they go to the emergency room after his fall. “Had she not been there, or had I been home when I couldn’t breathe, the outcome would be far different. She was watching over me.”

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“It is because of Dr Jobe’s research that many premature infants are alive today, including my older daughter. It has been an honor to take care of Dr Jobe.”

Dr. Soma Sengupta with Dr. Alan Jobe in clinic.

Dr. Alan Jobe is a world-renowned neonatologist and frequent invited guest speaker at various symposiums around the world. You would never guess that nearly six years ago, Dr. Jobe was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor and given less than a 20% chance of survival.

Dr. Jobe was out to dinner with a friend when he suddenly lost the ability to use his chopsticks and had to eat with his left hand. The next day, while delivering a lecture to a group of students, a lecture he gave monthly at UC Health in Cincinnati, he lost the ability to speak.

He was rushed to the emergency room under the assumption that he was having a stroke. Imaging revealed that Dr. Jobe had a brain tumor. “The doctor came in and said ‘I have good news and I have bad news,’” said Dr. Jobe. “He said ‘it’s not a stroke, but a tumor.’”

Dr. Jobe was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain tumor. The median survival for a person diagnosed with this diagnosis is 12-18 months, with only about 5% of patients surviving five years after diagnosis. Dr. Jobe was admitted to the hospital and scheduled for surgery to remove the tumor that was located in his right frontal lobe.

While in the hospital, Dr. Jobe met with Dr. Soma Sengupta and began to see her regularly for care. Following his resection surgery, he received chemo and radiation therapy under the direction of Dr. Sengupta. After relocating to ����ý Health in Chapel Hill, Dr. Sengupta continued to monitor Dr. Jobe’s progress. “She has kept track of me even after she moved,” said Dr. Jobe.

As a world-renowned neonatologist, his research in neonatal lung diseases and neonatal-perinatal medicine has led to the survival of thousands of premature infants, including one of Dr. Sengupta’s daughters. “It is because of Dr Jobe’s research that many premature infants are alive today, including my older daughter,” said Dr. Sengupta. “It has been an honor to take care of Dr Jobe.”

In 2023, Dr. Alan Jobe was named the 2024 recipient of the American Pediatric Society’s John Howland Award, the research honor awarded by the association, recognizing Dr. Jobe for his substantial contributions to advancing child health and the profession of pediatrics. His long list of accolades is well-deserved, recognizing his lasting impact and legacy on research. “In 1960, deaths from respiratory distress syndrome was 50% of preterm births and it was 1.6% in 2024,” said Dr. Jobe. “We have conquered that disease which was the poster child for neonatal mortality in newborn infants.”

Now, Dr. Jobe has defied his 20% chance of survival. He struggles with his balance, which makes it difficult to do anything outside in the yard or take walks. But that doesn’t stop Dr. Jobe from traveling, bringing his wheelchair and cane along for support. “I can still enjoy my life and cook dinner,” said Dr. Jobe. “I have no pain from the tumor. I just have residual paralysis. Given my diagnosis, I am doing remarkably well.”

Dr. Jobe explains that he is not a candidate for clinical trials, and has had the maximum amount of chemo and radiation for treatment. Rather than live in fear of tumor recurrence, he continues to enjoy life with his wife, and by feeding his mind by proofing manuscripts for academic journals and reading the New Yorker and The New York Times.

While Dr. Jobe knows his tumor may eventually grow back, he is enjoying his life with his wife and traveling all over the world. Dr. Jobe recently returned from Milan, Italy where he was invited to be the guest lecturer at another international symposium. He also plans to travel to Europe with his wife for a cruise later this spring. “I have friends all over the world,” said Dr. Jobe. “I want to continue to travel.”

Written by Makenzie Hardy, Marketing Coordinator, ����ý Health Department of Neurosurgery

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Skull base meningioma. Illustration by Xian Boles, MFA, CMI

Lisa, a mother of four in her late 40’s, experienced occasional sinus headaches and migraines. However, in the summer of 2022, she began having a different type of headache. These new pulsating headaches came on in the mornings, but were mild and only lasted a few seconds. Since she only had one brief headache with mild pain each day and since the headaches did not interfere with daily living, she did not seek medical attention.

One morning, about six months after the daily headaches started, Lisa woke from sleep to a pulsing headache. This time, the headache took longer to resolve and left her feeling “dazed” and sensitive to light for several hours. She felt better as the day went on, but was concerned about her health.

The following morning, Lisa had a similar headache, but more painful. She could not drive because of the pain, so she had her husband take her to urgent care. “The doctor said it looked like my nasal passages were inflamed and I likely had allergies that triggered migraines,” Lisa recalled, “So, she prescribed a nasal spray and Imitrex and sent me home.”

Lisa went to sleep that night, but two hours after lying down, she woke up with what she described as the worst headache of her life. “The pulses were excruciating and relentless, and nothing relieved the pain,” said Lisa. “It continued for hours, and I knew I couldn’t endure another night like that. I still wince when I think of that night.”

Her husband drove her to the emergency room at ����ý Rex in Raleigh where she received IV pain medication and steroids to manage her pain. A scan showed that Lisa had a large brain tumor causing a buildup of fluid, causing her daily headaches. Lisa was told that the tumor had likely been growing for a while, and her emergency room physicians were surprised that she had not experienced more symptoms. “Things moved pretty quickly at that point,” she recalled.

Lisa was told that she would need to have surgery to remove the tumor. “The ER doc told us that Dr. Carlos David would be our neurosurgeon. “He raved about him,” said Lisa. “My husband looked him up and was very impressed. Knowing this eased our anxiety and shock of having just heard the words ‘brain tumor’ and ‘surgery.’”

Lisa was transported by ambulance to ����ý Health in Chapel Hill and immediately taken to the neuro ICU. While in the ICU, Lisa and her husband met cerebrovascular and skull base neurosurgeon, Dr. Carlos David. “When I met him, I felt like I was in good hands,” said Lisa. “I felt very confident that he was more than capable of performing this surgery, and I was grateful to have such a highly-skilled surgeon available when I needed one.”

Dr. David told Lisa that she had a large skull base meningioma, a benign brain tumor, compressing her cerebellum and causing obstructive hydrocephalus. “The normal fluid paths were blocked by the huge tumor and resulted in a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid, raising her intracranial pressure,” explained Dr. David. “This was in addition to the tumor compressing the cerebellum itself resulting in coordination and balance issues.”

When Lisa was admitted to the hospital, she also tested positive for Covid, further complicating her hospital stay. “My husband had to suit up when he came in to see me,” Lisa said.

Despite needing to dress in personal protective equipment due to her Covid test results, Lisa noted that her care team still went out of their way to ensure that she had everything she needed. “They treated me as a person, not just as a patient,” said Lisa. “Even when they had to gown up, they were still very delightful. I really felt at peace the whole time that I was there.”

Lisa underwent a retrosigmoid craniotomy to remove the tumor. The complex surgery required meticulous microsurgery to separate the tumor from the brain and critical nerves for swallowing, hearing, and facial movement. In addition to the complexity from the size and structures involved around the tumor, Lisa had significant swelling in her brain from the obstruction of cerebral spinal fluid.

Three days after surgery, Lisa was discharged. She struggled with her balance, and used a walker for a couple of weeks while she recovered. “The pain was very mild,” recalled Lisa.

“It still amazes me that Dr. David was able to drill into my skull and remove this huge life-threatening brain tumor.”

After a few months, Lisa was feeling back to normal and was able to drive again. Looking back, Lisa says that she is still shocked that she had a brain tumor. “I remember sitting in the hospital thinking of all the things I was able to do, like learning to wake surf, unaware that a large tumor was growing in my brain,” said Lisa.

Lisa is back to doing everything she did before her brain tumor, without struggling with daily headaches. She goes in once a year for scans to make sure that her brain tumor does not grow back. Lisa is two years out from surgery and there are no signs of reoccurrence. “I’m so grateful for the top-notch care I received,” said Lisa. “It still amazes me that Dr. David was able to drill into my skull and remove this huge life-threatening brain tumor. I have my life back thanks to him. He’s my favorite neurosurgeon.”

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Dr. Ricardo Komotar with Dr. Dominique Higgins.

��The Department of Neurosurgery at ����ý Chapel Hill hosted the Inaugural Innovation Summit in the Skull Base & Spine Dissection Simulation Center on campus led by Dr Dominique Higgins.

The keynote speaker at the event was Dr. Ricardo Komotar, a Professor of Clinical Neurological Surgery, Director of the Brain Tumor Institute, and Director of both the Neurosurgery Residency Program and the Surgical Neuro-Oncology and Fellowship Program at the University of Miami. He is considered a leader in the field of neurosurgical oncology and has effectively targeted and treated over 7,000 brain tumors. Dr. Komotar presented on building a successful brain tumor program.

The Innovation Summit also featured presentations from ����ý Neurosurgery faculty members, including Dr. Dominique Higgins, Dr. Carlos David, Dr. Vibhor Krishna, and Dr. Michael Galgano. “I wanted to showcase technologic advances implemented by the ����ý Chapel Hill neurosurgery department,” said Dr. Higgins.

The event was sponsored by Medtronic, GammaTile (GT Med), Stryker (NICO), QuickTome (Omniscient), and TeDan Surgical.

The event was held in the Skull Base & Spine Dissection Simulation Center located on campus. The facility supports over 1,000 hours of educational activities each year. Neurosurgery residents attend a monthly skills lab with cadaver dissection and discussion of surgical approaches. There are also endoscopic simulators for developing flexible endoscopy skills. Each station is equipped with a microscope and surgical instruments similar to what is used in the operating room. The skills lab is directed by Dr. Carlos David, Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Neurosurgery and Director of the residency program.

Written by Makenzie Hardy, Marketing Coordinator, Department of Neurosurgery

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��Dr. Soma Sengupta, Division Chief of Neuro Oncology, Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Neurosurgery, and Professor in the Department of Neurology, hosted the 2^nd annual Weatherspoon Symposium at ����ý Health in Chapel Hill, bringing together brain tumor physicians, researchers, students, and advocates to discuss emerging treatments for malignant brain tumors.

The standard of care for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma has remained unchanged since 2005. Presentations at the symposium highlighted the continued need for brain tumor research support to one day develop a cure for this deadly disease. The symposium was the first of its kind to showcase translational and clinical research talks from ����ý Health, MD Anderson, Duke Health, Wake Forest University, Eastern Carolina University, and Mayfield Clinic.

Dr. Sengupta is a physician-scientist and clinical trialist specializing in brain tumor treatment and research. This is her second year organizing the Weatherspoon Symposium, an event made possible by philanthropic donations from the Weatherspoon family. “Having lost family and close friends to brain cancer, finding a cure, improving the quality of life, and decreasing financial toxicity are fundamental to my mission of being a neuro-oncologist and an integrative oncologist,” said Dr. Sengupta. “Patient care should be personalized, yet affordable, and give hope while prolonging life.”

Van and Kay Weatherspoon lost their son to a brain tumor at the age of 28. The Weatherspoon family supports brain tumor research at ����ý Health, including multiple professorships and research funds. The family’s contributions have exceeded $10 million over time, specifically for the brain tumor program.

The event featured presentations from keynote speakers Dr. Jeremy Rich, Deputy Director of Translational Research & Chief Scientific Officer of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Dr. Vinay Puduvalli, Chair and Professor in the Department of Neuro-Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center.�� Dr. Puduvalli is actively involved in patient care and clinical trials, and translational research. His team aims to develop novel therapies for patients with primary brain tumors, specifically malignant gliomas. He presented on emerging targets to uncover new therapeutic vulnerabilities in glioblastoma.

Dr. Rich spoke on leveraging stem cell biology in brain tumor therapeutic discovery. His laboratory has identified novel therapeutic paradigms in the treatment of advanced cancer, primarily malignant brain tumors. His research team aims to better understand the clinical relevance of cancer stem cells and the interaction with the tumor microenvironment and underlying genetic driver mutations in human cancers.

Jason Binder, a former Pharma Executive and current caregiver to his wife, Tracy, who was diagnosed with glioblastoma, also attended the event. “At the symposium, I saw a desire to truly understand the biology of the disease from multiple approaches,” said Jason.��“I saw many experimental approaches with promise to treat someone like my wife.��I believe these clinicians and scientists will stop at nothing to continue their pursuit.”

Jason also voiced his frustration with the slow progress, specifically when it comes to approval of potential treatments and moving them forward to clinical trials. “There are a ton of options but will they see the light of day to go from safety to proof of concept to pivotal trial?��For my wife, maybe not,” said Jason.��“We’ve already surpassed our life expectancy. I see a hopeful future, but one that is severely uphill.”

The symposium also featured presentations from ����ý Health faculty, including ����ý Neurosurgery faculty members Dr. Sengupta, Dr. Daniel Pomeranz Krummel, Dr. Dominique Higgins, and Dr. Vibhor Krishna.

Dr. Nelson Oyesiku, Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and Van L. Weatherspoon, Jr. Eminent Distinguished Professor, and Dr. Matt Ewend, Chief Clinical Officer, President of ����ý Physicians, and Kay M. and Van. L Weatherspoon Distinguished Professor of Neurosurgery, both supported the brain tumor symposium that was collaborative, interdisciplinary, and accessible for everyone. Dr. Robert Ferris, recently appointed Director of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, also gave his full support of the symposium and attended in-person.

Dr. Heather Calderone, Grant Director of Research and Grants at the American Brain Tumor Association also attended the event.

The event included poster presentations from lab members, residents, and fellows, including two attendees from the National Cancer Institute-NIH. Shreeya Bhonge from ����ý Chapel Hill Department of Applied Physical Sciences won first place.

For more information on brain tumor research and current clinical trials at ����ý Health, visit the brain tumor research page, or visit the website.

Written by Makenzie Hardy, Marketing Coordinator, Department of Neurosurgery

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Dr. Elton shares what the first freestanding Children’s Hospital in North Carolina will mean for pediatric neurosurgery patients and for all children in the state and beyond in this video:

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Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment for Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor is now available at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi thanks to a generous donation from the Vattikuti Foundation. The announcement was made during the “Transforming Neuroscience: MRgFUS – A Game Changer” Symposium.

Essential tremor is the most common type of tremor, affecting up to five percent of people worldwide. MRgFUS is an incisionless treatment for patients with certain movement disorders, including essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. MRgFUS can be a safe and effective treatment option for patients who either do not respond to medication or initially respond to medication that eventually becomes ineffective.

Dr. Vibhor Krishna, Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Operations at the University of North Carolina (����ý) Department of Neurosurgery, and Dr. Daniel Roque, Director of the ����ý Movement Disorders program and Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Outpatient Operations at the ����ý Department of Neurology, presented at the symposium. Both physicians have been instrumental in building the focused ultrasound program at ����ý Health. “The last few days have been exciting for the focused ultrasound launch at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences,” said Dr. Krishna. “Besides my affinity as an alum of this institution, I am excited that thousands of the most vulnerable patients will have access to this transformative technology.”

Dr. Vibhor Krishna presenting at the symposium.

The Vattikuti Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Raj and Padma Vattikuti in 1997. Raj Vattikuti immigrated to Detroit to advance his education. The Vattikuti family never forgot their roots in India and have made intentional high-impact gifts in their country of origin. Today, the Vattikuti Foundation’s work spans the globe, enhancing lives of countless individuals by facilitating medical and surgical advancements, education, humanitarian relief and social empowerment initiatives.

Dr. Vibhor Krishna is a board-certified surgeon-scientist in functional neurosurgery and neuromodulation and is an early adopter of focused ultrasound. His research aims to enhance neuromodulation’s effectiveness through personalized medicine, develop and optimize minimally invasive neurosurgery, and test emerging surgical treatments in clinical trials. “This philanthropic donation from the Vattikuti Foundation will prove to be transformational for the wider adoption of focused ultrasound technology,” said Dr. Krishna.

Dr. Daniel Roque is a board-certified neurologist with a clinical focus on the treatment of movement disorders, including essential tremor, Parkinson’s disease, and dystonia. His research interests include improvement of different tremors in different diseases through both traditional and innovative methods, and improving quality of life initiatives for patients with movement disorders.

Dr. Daniel Roque presenting at the symposium.

����ý Health is one of the select few health systems in the United States to have a full spectrum of MRgFUS equipment, both high-frequency (650 KHz) and the investigational low-frequency (220 Khz) MRgFUS for brain interventions. Dr. Krishna and Dr. Roque are actively involved in ongoing MRgFUS research as members of the Carolina Consortium for Ultrasound Brain Imaging and Therapeutics (CCUBIT).

Both Dr. Krishna and Dr. Roque have led various informational webinars on focused ultrasound treatment for patients and caregivers in the southeast region. They have also led virtual and in-person educational sessions for physicians in the coastal region of North Carolina, and for physicians and providers at ����ý Health in partnership with Insightec, with Dr. Krishna also receiving research support from Insightec. In addition, Dr. Krishna and Dr. Roque are frequently invited to give presentations at conferences hosted by various healthcare organizations, including the Focused Ultrasound Foundation.

Insightec is a global healthcare company, and a pioneer and leader in focused ultrasound. “We are profoundly grateful to the Vattikuti Foundation whose support has enabled us to partner with AIIMS to provide a new therapeutic option for people suffering from movement disorders in India,” said Maurice R Ferré, M.D., CEO and chairman of the board of Insightec. “This initiative will provide access to incisionless neurosurgery and improve countless lives.”

Written by Makenzie Hardy, Marketing Coordinator, Department of Neurosurgery

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